Published: 17 January, 2013

Tony Dallas talks sport… and with more than 20 years working as a sports development officer he knows what he’s on about

ALTHOUGH the away end was a few supporters light at the Emirates on Sunday, a quick scan of the ground revealed that it wasn’t only Manchester City fans who couldn’t afford the £62 entry fee.

More and more I’m beginning to believe that if it wasn’t for the sale of merchandise and the lucrative amounts the media moguls continually pay for the rights of the game, football teams would not need their fans.

Watching a game without the cacophony of sound would not go down well with the viewing TV public, so we’ve become a nuisance that has to be endured. I can’t understand why we put up with being treated so shabbily.

Gone are the days when a parent could take their child to see their local team, buy them a scarf, further furnish their memories by getting them a programme and be left with change out of a £50 note. A day out like that now costs upwards of £120. And if you throw in travel and refreshments it’s even more ridiculous!

Some blame the dropping crowd numbers on the fact we’re in the middle of a recession.

But recession or not, the mortgage repayment on £200,000 is £367 per month and if you’re renting add £100 more. Add the average food bill, which is approximately £80 per week, and it’s clear the basic ticket pricing for a low- to middle-income fan is not sustainable.

I believe we are now seeing the gentrification of football.

I’ve got Arsenal friends who have supported their teams for over 50 years who scoff at this new era of football, claiming that the club no longer cares for the older fans because they want the upward mobility of the new to further their corporate ambitions. 

It’s true that the stadiums are better than they’ve ever been, the football is faster and the players much fitter! 

But the soul’s been ripped out of the game. And, as a life-long fan, it’s got to hurt when the club you’ve invested so much emotion in sees you only as a cash cow.

Or, even worse, surplus to requirements.

A team is only as good as its fan base. Clubs would do well to remember that.

What say you people? Should the clubs be giving something back?  Can you afford to take your child to a game?

Let us know and we’ll put the best ideas in the coloumn.

• Are money-men bleeding the game? Tell us what you think – at: sports@camdennewjournal.com